Electric-commutator cleaner.



Patented nnyal, |900.

No. 654,734. p

A H. JAHN. ELECTRIC COMMUTATUB CLEANER.

` (Application Bled Nov. 23, 1899.) (No Modal.)

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AUGUST n. JAHN, or HOMESTEAD, rENNSYLvANIA.

i-:LEcrnrc-CQMMUTATOR CLEANER. A

srncrcnrron for-ming fait o'ffnettesratent no. 654,734, tarea any s1, ie'. Application filed. November' 25,1899; Serial No. 788,035. (Nb modele] v To all wiz/0111. it nmycotccrn: A

Beit known that I, AUGUST H. JAHN, aresident of Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Electric-Commutator Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to means employed for cleaning or grinding the commutator-cylinders of dynamo-electric generators and motors; and it has for its object to provide a device of the character indicated which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction and effective and durable in operation and one which is normally moved and held out of operative position automatically and may be thrown intooperative position byclosiug a suitable switch located at any convenient pointirrespective of the distance of such point from the mechanism.

It is well known to users of electric motors and generators that in' normal use dirt accumulates on the commutator-cylinde'rs and that unless such ldirt isremoved at intervals the conductivity islimpaired to such an eX- tent as to involve objectionable sparking at the brushes. This is especially true of motors employed for propelling railway-vehicles, and

it has been the usualpractice to cleanthe commutators of such motors by hand at comparatively-frequent intervals. This process involves removing the motors temporarily from service and opening up the frames sufficiently to secure access to the commutatorcylinders. It also necessitates the expenditure of considerable labor and is therefore a matter .of considerable expense. The unequal wearin g of commutator-cyliuders in certain machines also often necessitates the grinding'ofsuch cylinders by means of sand or emery paper in order to secure a uniform contact-surface, as well as to remove the accumulated dirt.

The mechanism that I have devised for use in. lieu ,ofy hand-cleaning means is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end elevation of a portion of the commutator and of my cleaning device.

5o Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig.v l, and Fig. 3 is a det-ail view. The portion of the commutatoncylinder 1 on which the brushes bear is shown at 2l, the portions 3 being projections to which the com# mutator-leads are connected.V

The mechanism for cleaning the commutator-'cylinder is mounted in a suitable frame 4,

provided with openings 5, through which screws or bolts may be inserted to fasten the frame to theframe of a motor or to any suit# able support in order that the 'working parts may be operativelylocated. The frame 4 contains a solenoid 6, the core 7 of which is movable vertically and is connected to the inner ends of two levers 8 by means of a pin 9, the ends of the levers being provided with slots l0 to receive the pin 9. is pivoted in a downwardly-projecting arm of the frame 4 and extends outwardly, its outer end being connected to aholder 12 by means of a rod 13 and links 14. The holder 12 is provided with a recess, the outer sides of which are beveled, as indicated at 15, and in this recess llits ablock 16' of suitable abrad#- ing material or a wooden or other block, the faceof which has fastened-to it by means of Each of these levers glue or other suitable cement one or more layers or sheets of abrading material. The face of this block 16 is curved to conform to the surface of the commutator-cylinder, and its sides and top are of such contour as to t the recess in the holder l2.` The inclination of the Sides l5 of the recess in the holder and the corresponding inclination of the upper portions ofthe sides of the block 16 are such as to insure a secure engagement between the said'parts, `while the form and relative size of the parts are such as to permit of a ready insertion and removal of the block. The arms ll, in which the levers 8 are pivoted, are provided with stops 17, with which the holder l2 engages when raised. In some cases the solenoid-core 7 may be heavy enough to raise the holder l2 and block 16 from the com mntator-cylinder when the solenoid is deenergized; but ordinarily it will be found advisable to employ springs for supplementing the force exerted by gravity upon the solenoidcore. I have shown two suchcoiled springs I8, the lower ends of which are attached to lugs on the upper side of the holder and the upper ends of which are attached to suitable projections on the solenoid-core. I have shown a circuit 19 20 suppliedwith energy IOO rent may be taken from the dynamo-circuit for energizing thesolenod.

It will be readily understood vWithout further description that when it is desired to clean the commutator it will be rotated, preferably, as for normal operation, and the circuit of the solenoid will be closed, thus raising4 the core, and thereby pressing the block into contact with the c'ommutator-cyli-nder" through the action of the levers and links.

I desire to be understood that my invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown, since modiications as regards the number, form, and location of parts may be readily made without materially changing the modeof operation or result.

Wh-at I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ismV 1. Inra cleaning or grinding device for commutatorfcylinders, the combination with a supporting-frame, of a holder containing a cleaning-block and movable toward and away from a commntator-cylinder, a pair of levers pivoted in said frame, vlinks connecting said holder with the outer ends of the levers, a

solenoid and a core thereforhaving a slot-andL pin connection with the inner ends of said levers.

2; VIn a cleaning or grinding device for commutator-cylinders, the combination withv a frame and a movable holder for cleaning material., of a solenoid, a core and lever-and-link connections between the core and the holder whereby the latteris moved toward the commntator-cylinder when the solenoid is energized, substantially as set forth. y

3. In a cleaning or grinding device for commutator-cylinders, the `combination with a frame and movable holder for cleaning material, of a solenoid, a core and lever-and-link connections between the core and the holder, whereby the latter is moved toward the commutator-cylinder when the solenoid is energzed, and springs acting to retract the holder when `the solenoid is denergized.

4. In a cleaning or grinding device for commutator-cylinders, the combination with a frame and a movable holder for abrading material, of a solenoid, a core and lever-and- Iin-k 'connections between the core and the holder, whereby the latter is moved toward the commutator-cylinder when the solenoid i's energized, and one or more coiled springs'connecting the solenoid-core with the holder and placed under tension when the solenoid is energized.

5. In a cleaning or grindingdevice for commutator-clyinders, a holder for a cleanerblock, provided with a recess of dovetaii shape and a removable cleaner-block fitting in'said recess, 'in combination with a supportingframe, a solenoid, a core and operating-levers intermediate the core and the holder, substantially as set forth.

6. Ina cleaning'device for'commutator-cylinders, a holder and a cleaner-block located in a recess therein and laterally removable therefrom, in combination with a solenoid, a core, and operating-levers connecting the core to the holder, substantially as set forth.

In Vtestimony whereof I, the said AUGUST II. JAHN, have hereunto set my'hand.

y AUGUST H. JAHN.

' Witnesses:

GRACE C. RAYMOND, RoBEnr C. To'rTEN. 

